After a run to the playoffs that ended with a one-sided loss to the rival Ravens, Russell Wilson is ready to run it back with the Steelers.
The Pittsburgh quarterback addressed his future with media on Monday while cleaning out his locker.
“Yeah, that’s the plan,” Wilson said when asked if he wants to come back to Pittsburgh next year. “Obviously, I love it here and everything else. I think we have a great football team. Obviously it didn’t end the way we wanted it to. And I think there’s a lot more to do.”
Wilson, 36, played with the Steelers on a one-year, $1.21 million contract this season while still owed $37.79 million from the Broncos. He will be a free agent without a new contract in Pittsburgh. He said Monday that he wants to play “as long as possible,” reiterating a statement he made in November that he wants to play 5-7 more years.
“That’s always been my plan, to play as long as possible,” Wilson said. … “I feel great, mentally, emotionally.”
Wilson said that he “thought I played well” this season while noting that “there’s moments I wish I’d played a little bit better.”
Should Steelers bring Wilson back next season?
Wilson joined the Steelers in the offseason after being released by the Broncos, but started on the bench in favor of Justin Fields after a calf injury sidelined him in the preseason. He took over at quarterback in Week 7 and remained the Steelers’ starter through the remaining 11 games of the regular season and Saturday’s 28-14 wild-card loss to the Ravens.
Pittsburgh won its first four games with Wilson at quarterback before a 2-5 finish to the regular season that included a four-game season-ending losing streak. Wilson completed 63.7% of his passes for 225.6 yards per game with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions in his 11 regular-season starts. He completed 20 of 29 passes for 270 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers in Saturday’s loss to the Ravens. But the Steelers never threatened to win the game.
Wilson’s play improved from the worst of his disastrous stint with the Broncos that resulted in Denver releasing him in spite of a significant hit to the salary cap. He was good enough to keep Pittsburgh competitive as a playoff team, but there was little to indicate the he could return to his Pro Bowl form from his Seahawks tenure and lift the Steelers into Super Bowl contention.
While Wilson made his desires known on Monday, the Steelers have a decision to make in the offseason: attempt to re-sign Wilson or seek an upgrade at quarterback. The latter option is obviously easier said than done. Pittsburgh’s upside is capped with Wilson, but finding a quarterback to compete with the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen in the AFC is not a realistic goal.
So what are the Steelers to do? Wilson said that those conversations are yet to come.
“I think they’ve known that I’ve always wanted to be here and play here,” Wilson said. “There’s also a process. We haven’t had those meetings yet. We’ll have those, and we’ll go from there.”
